A crooked Halifax cashier plundered more than £3,500 from elderly customers at a Bullring branch – despite having £25,000 in savings.

Greedy Abdul Ahad, 24, targeted a total of six victims in the fraud, including the oldest who was aged 83.

Yet after his arrest police discovered the cashier had £25,000 in his own personal savings account – and could not explain his dishonestly.

Ahad, of Crompton Road, Handsworth, admitted six charges of fraud by abuse of position and was sentenced to eight months jail, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to complete 180 hours unpaid work and pay £900 costs.

Patrick Sullivan, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said Ahad had been employed as a cashier for the Halifax since June last year.

The offences came to light following from a complaint from a customer.

“He had two accounts with the Halifax he rarely used,’’ Mr Sullivan. “It transpired they had been plundered by this defendant with 26 withdrawals.”

Mr Sullivan said an investigation revealed the defendant had taken £2,650 from the customer. There were five other victims, including one woman who came into the bank and was told by Ahad her account was empty after he had taken her last £100.

Mr Sullivan said the offences took place between September 2014 and May this year and the total amount stolen was £3,506.

Benjamin Close, defending, said: “The biggest punishment for this young man is that he has lost his previous exemplary character.”

The fraudster was told by Recorder John Edwards that he had narrowly avoided a prison sentence.

“Many other judges in these courts would not have been as merciful as I have been,’’ he said. “You monitored those accounts and you abused the trust that had been placed in you.

“The public and particularly the elderly are entitled to assume when they go to the counter they will come face-to-face with an honest employee – and you were not.”

The judge said what had saved Ahad from going to prison was his previous good character and the fact that he had been “up front” about his crimes.